Effect of Pictograph-Based Discharge Instructions on Older Adults' Comprehension and Recall: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Many older adults return home with limited comprehension of hospital discharge instructions because current text-based instructions are difficult to understand. To address this issue, the author developed discharge instructions using pictographs (i.e., simple line drawings showing step-by-step discharge actions) for older adults under care of hip replacement surgery. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of pictograph-based discharge instructions on comprehension and recall of older adults with low literacy skills. A posttest-only comparison group design was used to compare pictograph-based (n = 21) to text-only (n = 21) discharge instructions at 4 weeks after discharge instruction education. Significantly greater improvements in scores on comprehension and recall were demonstrated by the pictograph group than the text-only group. A follow-up, full-scale study is suggested to examine the effect of pictograph-based instructions on adherence to instructions and health outcomes.